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Mail Merge

Instructors Outline

Introduction

What is a Mail Merge?

Definition of a Mail Merge

Why different types of mail merges

To achieve different results.

Files to perform a mail merge

Data Source

Main Document

Supported Applications

Access

Excel

Word

Personal Address Book

Exchange

Ascii Text

Delimited Files

Types of mail merges

Forms

Labels

Envelopes

Catalog

Methods

DDE

ODBC

Converter

Examples of data sources

Table

Comma delimited

Data form

Troubleshooting techniques

Advanced

Conditional Mail Merges

Ifstatements

Example of the condition and the ifstatement syntax

Picture switches

Example of the situation and the syntax for a picture switch

How to perform a Query in a mail merge

Common Errors and Terms

List of frequently used terms with definitions

List of common errors message with resolutions and or Q Articles

Helpful Q Articles

List of Q articles for common problems with Mail Merge

Create Data Sources

Using a table in Word

A Data Form from the mail merge feature

Excel spreadsheet

Steps to perform a mail merge

Step by step instructions to perform each type mail merge

Forms

Labels

Envelopes

Catalog

Glossary

· Applications	Access Excel Word Personal Address Book Exchange Ascii Text Delimited Files
· Data Source	Document that includes the text to be merged
· Definition of a mail merge	Combining a data source containing variable data with a main document to produce mailings
· Files are needed to perform a mail merge	Data Source Main Document
· Main Document	Document that Data Source is merged to.
· Methods	DDE ODBC Converter
· Types of mail merges	Form letters Mail labels Envelopes Catalog
Different types of mail merges are used to create different results
· Form letter	Previously created letter or memo
· Mailing labels	Labels
· Envelopes	Envelopes
· Catalog	To create a list

Examples of these data sources

Table Can be created with insert table

Firstname	Lastname	Address1	Address2	City	State	Zip
Joan	Brown	1 Ash St	Apt 2	Avon	Conn	12345

Comma delimeted

Name,Country,Citizen#

Bev Mabey,Canada,yes#Melissa Jones,USA,Dual# Sue Mabey,Canada,yes#Sue Smith,USA,Dual# Sue Mabey,Canada,yes#Mary Brown,USA,Dual#

Data Form Can be invoked by mail merge helper or from the Database toolbar using the Data Form icon

Note customer must save when prompted

Troubleshooting Techniques

Where do I start to troubleshoot a Mail Merge problem?

Version of word

What type of a merge

Where was the data source created

Application

Format

Was the customer you are working with the originator

If they are merging to a previously created main document

Application

Format

Was the customer you are working with the originator

What is the actual problem

Error message

Results are wrong

Depending on the answer to the above questions

Error message Tech Net

Review the Q Articles supplied at the end of this document

Can always try a new data source and or merging to a new doc

Results are wrong Tech Net

Review the Q Articles supplied at the end of this document

Can always try a new data source and or merging to a new doc

Other

A comma delimited Ascii File data source

Highlight the information for the header

Table

Convert table to text, do not convert

Note the number of columns displayed

Highlight the information for the data

Table

Convert table to text, do not convert

Note the number of columns displayed

Usually the columns do not agree. An extra comma in the data

could indicate another column and therefore cause an error message

Conditional Mail Merges

Using an “if statement”

The following is an example of a condition mail merge if some have a title and some do not.

This will eliminate a extra space from being inserted.

Title	Firstname	Lastname
Miss	Jane	Doe
	Alice	Smith
Mr	Michael	Jones
	Cathy	Abbott

{if {Mergefield Title}<>"" "{Mergefield Title} "{Mergefield Firstname} {Mergefield Lastname}

The following is an example of a condition mail merge if some have middle initial and some do not.

This will eliminate a extra space from being inserted.

Firstname	Middle Initial	Lastname
Mary	E.	Jones
Joan		Michaelson
Cynthia	Jeanne	Brown

{Mergefield Firstname} {If {Mergefield Middle}<> "" "{Mergefield Middle}" {Mergefield Lastname}

Picture Switches

Example of picture switches

Mergefield date \@ "ddd"}

{Mergefield amt \#$#,##0.00}

It is necessary to add picture if formatting from the data source is removed by the mail merge. Commonly occurs when the data source is created in Access. The field or fields in access are formatted (Ex Date or Currency) when merged word stores the data but not the formatting.

Information for using Picture Switches can be found in help.

Query

A query is used when the merged is based on a specific criteria

Example: Merge only the the records where the last names

begin with "B"

Example Merge only the the records for the salesman

in the Northeast region.

Common Errors and Terms

Description (Error or term)	Definition or resolution
Cannot open because document is a mail merge main document	Tools Mail Merge Create Restore to a Normal word document Yes Save
Cannot see all the mergefields	Alt Shift F
Cannot re-establish DDE performing a mail merge	Choose either Select Method (ver 7) Confirm conversion (ver 6) select the converter
Data	Information below the header row
Data Source	Data source contains the information that can vary in each version mail merge
Data Source disappeared	Usually created with Mail Merge Data Form often occurs when the customer is using the Data Form option and does not save when prompted
Delimited	Separator between fields or records
Font changed after the merge	q121109 q87856